Batman (Adam West)
Batman was the protector of Gotham City. Adam West played Batman in the 1966 show Batman, in the film based upon it, and two animated features (Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and Batman vs. Two-Face) in addition to countless other appearances. Batman faced five main recurring villains in the show. These were the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman and King Tut. Character Bruce Wayne is Gotham's top philanthropist. He has been helping people publicly through the firm he runs called "The Wayne Foundation," and secretly in the guise of Batman, since his parents were killed when he was a young boy. He is an international sportsman, and enjoys potholing, fishing, and falconry. These skills often come in handy when fighting crime. Bruce has many hobbies, such as collecting antlers, stamps, and antique pocket watches. Even as a child, Bruce was a skilled individual; when he was 11 years old, he was the Junior Marbles Champion of Gotham City. The one thing he cannot abide is being called a coward. As Bruce Wayne he lived at Wayne Manor with his youthful ward Dick Grayson (Robin), his butler Alfred Pennyworth (although Alfred's surname was never used on the series) and Aunt Harriet Cooper. He is extremely moral with people breaking the law, and though he was ready and willing to send criminals such as the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler to prison, he did show a sense of compassion for the Catwoman, who had a crush on him. But because she refused to give up her life of crime and always wanted Robin out of the way, the relationship was never explored further by the Caped Crusader. He is a great friend of Police Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara, as both identities but the two men never found out who he really was. He developed a friendship with Batgirl, who helped him and Robin fight crime; he did not learn that she was really the Commissioner's daughter Barbara. Batman was always willing to put others first before himself and often helped Robin while on their adventures with things like Mathematics and Languages. Batman's Crime-Fighting Equipment 250px|thumb|Posing with a Beatarang in a publicity portrait Though Batman was a master of countless fighting styles, displayed an unfathomable understanding of advanced calculus, and was endowed with insightful wit and masterful cunning, from time to time the Caped Crusader had to rely on his self-made tools of the trade to see the day through. What follows is a list of these handy gadgets. * Batmobile: The specialized car Batman drives to Police Headquarters on on duty by land * Batcopter: '''Batman's helicopter that he uses for missions by air. * '''Batboat: '''the motorboat-speedboat Batman and Robin use whenever they have to fight crime on the Gotham Harbor waterfront. * '''Batcycle: '''Batman's motorcycle; it has a '''Go-Cart that can be disengaged. (Oddly, the Dozierverse never showed Batman wearing a "Batcycle Helmet" whenever he was driving it, which did not fit into Batman's safety-oriented mentality. Nor did it show Batgirl wearing such a helmet whenever she drove her "BatgirlCycle.") * Batpoles are the way Bruce and Dick get from the stately family mansion, Wayne Manor, to the Batcave. * Batarangs are the most commonly used weapon that Batman and Robin use whenever fighting against villains; these are essentially bat-shaped boomerangs. * Batcostumes, or Batsuits, are Bruce's and Dick's disguises as Batman and Robin. * BatComputer is the primary computer Batman uses for his crusade against crime. It is essentially a mainframe computer, and Batman and Robin alone are capable of operating it. It is powered by industrial "BatDiamonds," which the Giant Hydraulic Bat-Press, described below, is used to manufacture. * Batphone is a device which Batman and Police Commissioner Gordon employ to communicate. It has a portable version mentioned below, as well, and a duplicate of it is mounted in the Batmobile. * Bat-Signal is a superheated spotlight used by the police to signal the Dynamic Duo when there is crime that they themselves cannot solve. * Bat-Cuffs are, essentially, the same as ordinary police handcuffs, used to capture villains. * Bat-Sleep Gas is a form of sleeping gas used on people, especially if Batman and Robin are taking them to or from the Batcave. * Bat-Wake Gas is an antidote to Bat-Sleep Gas, as it wakes people up when they are at the Batcave. * Batropes are Batman's way of climbing high and steep walls. Its hook is a Batarang, since Batman and Robin would rarely use elevators or stairs. Whenever it is necessary to gain entry into tall buildings, the Dynamic Duo use Batarangs to secure a line and then "Bat-Climb" up the side of the building. It makes for slow going, more so than an elevator for instance, but it allows for secrecy. On occasion, Batman and Robin would use the Batrope to climb to a vantage point from which they could survey the surrounding area. Once their investigations were complete, they would use a "Reverse Bat-Climb" to get back down to the ground. Batman is adamant about having both hands on the Batrope during the Bat-Climbs, for obvious safety reasons. * Utility Belt is the yellow (Batman's or Batgirl's) or black (Robin's) belt of gadget pockets where Batman and Robin kept their weapons and devices. * Bulletproof Bat-Shield is a defensive object Batman and Robin use to protect themselves against dangerous attacks. Sometimes they hold it themselves; other times, they have it attached to the Batmobile. * Radio Frequency Bat-Generator. * Bat-Printer is used to forge documents. * Precious Metals Bat-Analyzer lists the components of metallic objects. * Bat-Roscope finds fingerprints on an item. * Bat-Analyst, also called Bat-Analyzer, lists the chemical components of an item using ultraviolet light. * Bat-Spectrograph Criminal Analyzer records biological information of anyone in close range. * Bat-Sound Analyzer analyzes background sounds on recordings. (Apparently this device has some similar and/or identical functions to an oscilloscope such as the Bat-Scilloscope, mentioned below.) * Master Bat-File gives out addresses. * Home Dry Bat-Cleaning Plant is used to dry Batcostumes, but its usage takes several hours to complete. * Automatic Bat-Alarm For Detecting Phone-Detecting Equipment warns Batman if an attempt is being made to trace the Batphone's location. It is used with Diversionary Batphone Lines to prevent such tracing of the Batphone. * Integro-Differential Robot Analyzer tells if there is anything out of the ordinary about a certain robot. * Bat-Calendar gives a list of Gotham City current events. * Bat-Syllable Device allows Alfred to type in words; it then pronounces them in Bruce's voice, in a staggered fashion. * Brain-Wave Bat-Analyzer checks the areas of the brain one at a time for tampering. * Bat-Tape Reader checks for abnormalities in recorded sounds. * Electronic Translator, if given foreign writing, will then display English text on its screen. * Wireless Bat-Transmitter is for "bat-emergencies" only and receives "Morse bat-code." * Bat-Naps are for cleaning dirty Batcostumes when the Home Dry Bat-Cleaning Plant is unavailable. * Bat-Secret Writing Detector. * Bat-Radar. * Bat-Spot Analyzer. * Electronic Hair Bat-analyzer. * Portable Anti-Crime Lab. * Bat-Make-Up Kit. * Bat-Funnel. * Bat-Scilloscope may have similar and/or identical functions to the Bat-Sound Analyzer described above. * Business Bat-Index Machine. * Well-Known Criminals File. * Emergency Bat-Call Box. * Criminal Analyzing Bat-Sensor. * Bat-Dummy is a life-sized puppet that can be manipulated through cunning ventriloquism. * Recollection Cycle Bat-Restorer is used to restore lost memories. * Current Criminal Activity Bat-Disclosure Unit. * Auxiliary Circuit Bat-Generator is used in cases of power disruptions. * Bat-Answer Phone, which plugs into the Batphone, carries on a conversation in Batman's voice. * InterDigital Bat-Sorter. * Bat-Research Shelf contains the collected volumes of The History Of Gotham City. * Bat-Armor is primarily the Batmobile Bat-Armor, and is usually used in conjunction with the Batmobile's Automatic Tire-Repair Device. * Portable Batphone is a smaller version of the Batphone, essentially self-contained. It can be carried on Batman's utility belt. * Bat-Weather Instruments are often used by Alfred Pennyworth, who has received cross-training in meteorology, the study of weather and climate. * Criminal Sensor Bat-Indicator, whenever a villain the effects of enters Gotham City, automatically plays one of his or her soundbites. * Three-Dimensional Bat-Restorer: Is used to reverse the effects of a device that can take away the third dimension of any living being, in which case Dr. Cassandra's Elvino Ry Gun * Batmobile's Nuclear Reactor Power Source: The large generator at the back of the Batcave. * U.S. And Canada Crime Computer: ''' Provides subway schedules. * '''Hyper-Spectrographic Analyzer, among its other uses, analyzes cloth and determines where it originated. * Chemo-Electric Secret Writing Detector. * Electronic Bugging Devices are constructed in the shapes of small amphibians and insects. * Gotham City Plans And Views is a database that calls up microfiches of local building plans. * Giant Lighted Lucite Map Of Gotham City. * Portable Freezing Chamber is an electrical deep-freezer large enough to hold a man; the lowest temperature it can reach has not been gauged. It is used for testing anti-freeze capsules and such garments as "super thermo-B long underwear," Bat-Thermal Underwear," and "Super-Thermalized Bat-Skivvies," all three of which are essentially the same types of garments--undersuits that contain electric heaters inside them. * Inter-Galactic Recorder. * Anti-Crime Auxiliary Power Generator supplies power to the Batcave whenever power outages occur. * Bat-Television is a simple, ordinary television set. * Pattern Identification Manual is a book that provides the name of a substance once it has been analyzed. * Bat-Scanner and Bat-Homing Transmitter work in tandem. The Bat-Homing Transmitter is placed on the object to be tracked, and the Bat-Scanner picks up the signal. * Emergency Back-Up Receivers, should something go wrong with the Bat-Scanner, will re-route the signal. * Voice Control Batmobile Relay Circuit. Via this circuit, Batman can control the Batmobile when he is not driving it. * Truth Control Bat-Tester is placed over the face of the individual being interrogated. As the person answers questions, their breath is captured in the bag. The breath is then mixed with a chemical liquid. Should the individual be telling the truth, the oxygen content will turn the liquid red. If they are lying, their increased metabolism means more oxygen which will create an imbalance in the liquid and it will remain clear. * Memory Bat-Bank contains photos of known criminals. * Bat-Magnifying Lens is used for delicate work such as painting false fingerprints. * State Pen Occupancy Report contains up-to-date information on the criminals currently housed in the State Penitentiary. * Compressed Steam Batpole Lift is employed for carrying Batman and Robin up the Batpoles. * Automatic Costume Change Device, or Instant Costume Change Lever, is the mechanism which changes Bruce Wayne's and Dick Grayson's clothes into their Batcostumes as they slide down the Batpoles, and vice versa. It can be shut off using a switch in the Batcave; this can negate both changes or one change. * Bat-Index is a computerized phone book and automatic phone dialer. * Bat-Speech Imitator was once used to produce Batman's voice when Alfred was dressed as Batman. *'Bat-Crime Computer' createa a profile of a specific villain and then computes the villain's next caper by searching for patterns of activity. * Bat-Seismograph is just that. This equipment is so sensitive it can pinpoint the location of a small explosion in Gotham City. * Transistorized Shortwave Bat-Transmitter is a short-wave communication device. The Transistorized Shortwave Bat-Receiver can receive messages from it. * Bat-Jets are powerful gas turbines, or more properly "fuel turbines," that are capable of lifting a 5000-pound automobile more than 500 miles into the air. It is not known what happens to such an automobile when it comes down from such a height, but presumably the Bat-Jets are also capable of slowing the descent speed of the automobile so that it can soft-land undamaged instead of striking the ground and being smashed. * Bat-Geiger Counter is just that; a miniature model of it also exists and is likewise employed. The full-size and miniature models are both used with Radioactive Bat-Pellets, which are then useful for tracking people or objects because the full-size and/or the miniature Bat-Geiger Counters can be used to locate the pellets. * Microfilm Crime File contains photos and information on criminals. * Bat-Chemical Analyzer is just that. * Bat-Drone Plane is a remote-control plane used to pick up narrow wavelengths being transmitted high above Gotham. Its Bat-Drone Control is the console used to pilot the Bat-Drone, and is also used to pick up the source of the transmission being tracked. It includes the Bat-Drone Retriever Switch, which brings the drone to a safe landing inside the Batcave. * Bugging Devices are constructed in the Batcave from spare components. * Batmobile Tracking Graph is a map of Gotham City on which the Batmobile's tracking-location signal can be pinpointed. * Bat-Extension is a second Batphone that can be carried around the Batcave when working up in hard-to-reach places. * Giant Hydraulic Bat-Press is used to make "BatDiamonds," but it can take up to six months for this device to create one large enough to power the BatComputer. * Bat-Directional Finder indicates which direction to take to find a certain substance. * Bat-Air Press is for blowing up balloons. * Bat-Capsule Dispensory is used as the storage cabinet for numerous crime-fighting pills of various types. * Bat-Wax Solvent dissolves any type of wax. * Sky-Writing Drone is a model jet that can write even the longest messages in the sky. * Bat-Antidote Powder is used to recover from any form of poison. * Bat-cillin, also called Bat-icillin, is presumably an antibiotic; it is available in lozenge form to prevent infection. As is the case with any antibiotic, it is useless against viruses. It is probably not an actual penicillin antibiotic. * Mobile Phone Bat-Plugs enable the use of portable Batphones. * Batzooka is a rocket launcher, useful against military tanks. * Oceanic Repellent Bat-Sprays, four in number, are employed in case Batman has to fly the BatCopter over Gotham Harbor. The shark-repellent Bat-Spray once enabled him to drive off a shark. * Bat-Springs. Charitable Organizations Public organizations with which Batman, as Bruce Wayne, is associated include: *Bruce Wayne School of Home Economics *Wayne Animal Sanctuary *Wayne Federation of Boys Clubs *Bruce Wayne Ice Arena *Wayne Foundation Free Nursery School *Gotham City Boxing Commission *Gotham State Prison Parole Board *Gotham Point Surfing Association *Bruce Wayne Foundation Memorial Handicap *Gotham Library's Board of Trustees *First National Bank of Gotham City *Gotham Lines *Bruce Wayne Rehabilitation Fund *The Wayne Foundation for Delinquent Girls *Gotham City Museum *Gotham City League of Bankers *Wayne Camp for Underprivileged Children *Gotham Millionaires Hunting Club *Gotham City Water Commission *The Thomas Wayne Memorial Clock Tower Behind the scenes Adam West's portrayal of Batman is famous for being considered very campy. The character of Batman in the comics was also shown that way at the time. But as West told Jeff Rovin in Back To The Batcave, "I loathed the word 'camp.' It demeaned our efforts by suggesting that what we were working hard to achieve was so corny or easy or bad that anybody could do it. We just made it look that way." He always stressed that what they were doing was farce, a lampoon, and deliberately intended as comedy. West's Bruce/Batman played up on the comedy from Dick Grayson and was very clever, often figuring out seemingly impossible clues or riddles. But he also had a knack for getting into trouble and was often trapped in various death-traps by various villains. He always escaped using either his wits or his ridiculous array of gadgets. The gadgets were often used as puns, e.g., when dealing with sharks, "Luckily I carried my shark repellent Bat-Spray." Not surprisingly, he appeared in every episode. Appearances 250px|thumb|The blue cowls Adam West wore as Batman tended, in time, to turn purple under the hot studio lights. Their color was drawn from a DC practice, in the comics, of shading black items with blue, which it has since abandoned. *''Batman'' (1960s series) **''Batman'' (1966 film) *''Legends of the Superheroes'' (two-part 1979 television special) *''Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders'' *''Batman vs. Two-Face'' Gallery *See: Batman (Dozierverse)/Gallery for additional images See also *Batman *Batman (Disambiguation) de:Batman (Adam West) Category:Batman (1960s series) Characters Category:Batman (1966 Movie) Characters Category:Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Characters Category:Batman vs. Two-Face Characters